Conventional fencing controls for controlling livestock are losing popularity primarily due to the cost of installing, and maintaining, posts and strainers together with often hundreds of kilometers of barbed (or electric) wire. Flash floods, more prevalent with changing climatic conditions often wipe out large sections of fencing. In addition conventional fences are spatially fixed, which limits dynamic flexible management of herds of animals or land.
Virtual fencing is a more recent technology designed to overcome the disadvantages of conventional fencing. Virtual fencing devices in various forms including collar halter devices are being trialled which incorporate GPS receivers to locate an animal's position together with a stimulus emitting device to deliver a stimulus to the animal when it is in proximity to a virtual fence line. However many such devices do not take into account the behavior or welfare of the animal. Certain such devices can have the opposite effect intended, of driving an animal into a virtually fenced off area.
Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like which has been included in the present specification is solely for the purpose of providing a context for the present exemplary embodiments. It is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the present exemplary embodiments as it existed before the priority date of each claim of this application.
Throughout this specification the word “comprise”, or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps.